A FEW MORE LIFE AND DEATH ISSUES

1.  According to the latest issue of TIME, marriage is becoming obsolete in the USA.  More than half of births to mothers under the age of 30 now occur out of wedlock.  In 1965, 24% of black children and 3% of whites did not involve marriage.  Today:  blacks 73%, Latinos 53% and whites 29%. Seventy percent of high school dropout mothers are unmarried.  This figure is 8% for college graduates.  The poverty rate of single-parent families is 6 times higher compared to mother-father marriages.  This matter is a serious national crisis, and, perhaps, Michelle Obama can make a real difference here. 

2.  If you travel, the question of going through a series of three shots to immunize you from hepatitis, a liver disease, might have come up.  Today, you can only be vaccinated for hepatitis B.  However, this form is the mildest and you usually recover.  The A version is a bit more serious and prevalent, but there is no vaccine.  From 1999 to 2007, 15,000 Americans died from hepatitis C, MORE than from HIV.  Perhaps 350  million worldwide are afflicted (more than 3 million in USA) with this C disease, a major cause of liver cancer and cirrhosis, with up to 75% unaware that they even are afflicted.  You can contract hepatitis from transfusions, injected drug use and sexual contact, with only the A through feces, or sanitation (and anilingus).  I no doubt have confused you more than anything else in this paragraph.  Click on those links above for details.

3.  I've recently investigated coconuts, which, purportedly, can prevent or delay Alzheimer's, and, even, that debatable seafood concern, mental disease.  Well, apparently, like eggs and butter, coconuts are today, again, okay for you to consume.  For the longest time, it was thought that these large nuts caused cardiovascular problems and even obesity, although you still can gain weight, if you eat too much of them.  But are coconuts a remedy for memory loss and a host of other reported ailments?  The jury is still out, although initial signs look favorable.  There is now some additional information on good and bad coconut oil.  If produced from dried coconuts, this version might be "unhealthy," because some industrial processes treat them chemically, and partially hydrogenate the product, introducing trans fats, which are not good.  If  obtained by pulverization, gentle heating and skimming off the oil, then, okay.  Thus, you should look for the term "virgin" on the label.  The two bottles I purchased say:  fresh-pressed virgin and pure extra virgin.

Incidentally, if you've ever cracked open this nut, there is that liquid, coconut water, plus the white flesh.  From all reports, this water is also good for you, for among a host of positive qualities, it is high in potassium, which reduces blood pressure.  Finally, there is coconut milk, squeezed from the pulp.  This is also recommended for good health.

So, is a coconut a day good for you?  Probably not, because the fat is saturated and high in calories.  But do those magical properties overcome these negatives?  Keep reading this blog to find out, as medical research continues.

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